After telling fans not to "expect hundreds of hours of gameplay" and delaying their indie life sim, Paralives devs unveil new footage that leaves the community worried: "Oh boy"

Paralives – the promising, colorful indie competitor to The Sims 4 first unveiled in 2019 – is on life sim fans' minds following its recent delay and a subsequent sneak peek at gameplay footage that is… well, not entirely what everyone was expecting to see.

For anyone out of the loop, Paralives was initially set to launch into Early Access on Steam this year. In fact, it was supposed to drop next month, on December 8. Unfortunately, just days after posting an update telling readers not to "expect hundreds of hours of gameplay" out of the new life sim, developers announced that they were delaying Paralives until May 25, 2026, as it "isn't up to the standard we wanted it to meet."

What exactly did they mean by that, though? Well, fans got a little look at what during a recent gameplay stream on Patreon, showcasing the live mode. If you're not familiar with games like The Sims 4, "live mode" is where you control a life sim's characters and, as the term would imply, watch them live (and whether you say that as LIEve or "liv" in your head is up to you). Unfortunately, this footage didn't impress all its viewers.

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Fans have been sharing their thoughts about the stream online, with one Redditor titling their post, "Disappointed by the gameplay video of Paralives." They go over why they think so: "Everything looked flat and lifeless. There was no ambient sound outside, which made the world feel empty. The constant clipping on the walls was very distracting. The stores looked completely empty inside, like there was no life at all in the town."

The poster also ponders whether or not the live footage was, well, live. "What bothers me the most is that the gameplay seems pre-recorded and staged," they explain, "which makes me wonder if they're trying to hide bugs or other issues. Overall, it just felt very artificial and not very immersive." They're not the only person to think so, either. Comments see others state, while "there are the bones of a good game there," devs will "have to crank out" more content "to get there."

A separate thread covering the stream reads, "Oh boy… the Paralives video…" The poster prefaces that they're "a long-time Sims player, so I do have to admit that my expectations might've been a bit lofty" – but, ultimately, they "wouldn't be surprised if May comes around and devs delay it further." They conclude, "I definitely think delaying it was the right move after seeing the state of the game, but I also wouldn't be overly upset if it is delayed again."

Elsewhere, a master post shows similar feedback – with a bit of hope mixed in for good measure. "Definitely looks early access, with the pathfinding issues, phasing through doors and people, lack of people in the shops, etc. The additional six months of production are more palatable after seeing this," as one fan responding lays out. They add, "But it's cute and a good foundation to build on, I think."

I'd be lying if I said I wasn't worried myself – especially considering the state of the life sim genre right now. With cancellations like the one Life By You saw, the fact that EA has no plans for a Sims 5, and the turbulent journey inZOI is on… I'll just keep my fingers crossed.

The Sims 4's colorful competitor Paralives lets you be a passive aggressive king and give backhanded compliments or just straight up diss characters for being bad cooks or because "they have a lower paying job than you."